And So It Begins
by pinkypiepinkwriter
Summary: The story of how Anabella Xavier became Bella Wayne and all the significant events in between. They make for a fairly complicated tale, but not despondent enough to be considered a tragedy. Bruce Wayne x OC Note: slight cross-overs with Smallville and X-men. Rating may increase later in the story.
1. Chapter 1 Company Dinners

**Chapter 1 Company Dinners**

Company dinners. To be completely honest, young Bruce Wayne hated them, even though he knew better than to hate any person or thing. It was bad enough barely getting enough sleep at night due to his bat-related nightmares, but now he had to deal with a company dinner. These dinners were better known as, an extremely long boring period of adult discussions and flash photography. Bruce couldn't help but sigh as his mother adjusted the tie around his neck. She gave him a sympathetic smile reminding him that even though he didn't particularly enjoy these dinners, they were preparation for someday, when he would run _Wayne Industries._ "Besides," his mother said as he combed back his hair for the hundredth time, "I think this dinner will be different." And with a smile she left him to his thoughts.

It was about an hour later when Bruce stepped out of the car and into the cool crisp night air. The driver had taken them right in front of _The Wayne Industries_ building where the dinner was going to be held. In a mere amount of seconds, he and his parents were bombarded with a series of bright lights. Uggh! The cameras again, he thought as his father directed toward the entrance. Once inside the building the lights were gone, but Bruce still felt blinded. "Come on!" his mother said with an eager smile on her face, "There's someone I want you to meet." She promptly led him to the middle of the large hall where a bald man and small girl were standing. From the looks of it, the girl was about his age. "This," said his mother, "Is Mr. Xavier, a business partner of your father and his daughter Anabella." Bruce shook hands with Mr. Xavier and gave Anabella nervous smile. She returned one. Mr. Xavier stuck out his hand. "Pleased to meet you Bruce," he stated with a thick British accent. Bruce shook his hand and nodded.

As the night progressed, more pictures were taken; more people got drunk, and the more his parents left him alone to talk with some business partner or another. As Bruce looked around, he noticed Anabella sitting by herself at the far end of the table. Her brow was creased with concentration. Intrigued, Bruce walked toward her. "Hey," he said simply. Anabella jolted upright. "Oh, Bruce" she said, looking rather relieved. "Sorry," he said, "Did I startle you?" "Just a little," she replied, giving him a small smile. They both were quiet for a moment. Finally, Bruce blurted out, "What were you doing?" instantly regretting the awkwardness of the words as the left his mouth. "Um, I was uh…." Anabella looked unsure of how to continue the dialogue. Bruce gave her his best attempt at a reassuring smile. "To be honest with you, I'm not sure. I was just trying to calculate the amount of times that woman, the one in the red, glances at my father this evening." Bruce couldn't help but laugh. "Why?" "Well for numerous reasons", she replied frowning. "And those are?" Anabella sighed and glancing at the floor, replied, "Because A, I hate math and my father says the more often you do something the more you tend to like it. And B, I always see her at parties with my father. And normally, she glances at him at least 70 times per event. I was just checking to make sure she… she was being consistent." Anabella looked back up at Bruce and they both burst into laughter. The two of them spent the rest of the evening stealing glances at the mysterious woman in red, as she in turn glanced at Anabella's father.

"Well," said Bruce finally, "That makes around 80 glances, not counting the ones we may have missed." "93, counting the ones we missed," Anabella stated confidently. "How'd you know that?" Bruce asked. "I just do," she replied. Just as Bruce was about to say something, His mother walked over. "You two appear to be enjoying yourselves," she said smiling. "Unfortunately, it is time for us to leave. Goodbye Miss Xaiver." Anabella nodded back at her politely. "Come on Bruce", she said. "We really must be going." "Bye, Anab…." "Wait!" Anabella interjected. "No one calls me Anabella, it's….. just Bella." "Bruce smiled, "Alright then, bye Bella." She just smiled.


	2. Chapter 2 Funerals

Alright! Chapter Two is up! Thanks for the review highlander 348. I don't want to give off too much information about the Xavier Family, but yes Bella is most certainly a telepath. Note: This story does not follow cannon

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the entire Batman Franchise. I just own my OC.

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The next time Bruce saw Bella, was at her father's funeral. Earlier that morning, his parents had dragged him to the airport so they could go to Metropolis. Bruce glared out the window of the plane the entire flight, remaining silent. He figured his father probably had a business meeting or something and his mother dragged him along so they could have some much needed "family time". As far as Bruce was concerned, family time was a waste of time. He, as a twelve year old boy, had better things to do. When the car that came to get them from the airport stopped at a church, Bruce had to admit that he was surprised. Why would his parents force to go to another state with them just to attend mass? He read the ornate sign on the front door, _St. Gregory's Cathedral_. The "cathedral" was huge, even by Bruce's standards. He felt like the building belonged in the Vatican or something. Everyone inside the church was dressed in black and when Bruce saw the shiny black casket at the front of the long aisle, he realized he was at a funeral. Tugging on the sleeve of his mother's long dress, he whispered, "Who died?" She looked down at him sadly. "Mr. Xavier, you remember him don't you? From that dinner party a couple years ago. He was with his daughter; I think her name was Annarose." "Anabella?" Bruce asked. "Yes, that was it." Bruce felt bad, even though he didn't know Mr. Xavier that well; he had seemed like a nice guy….and Bella. Interrupting his own train of thought, Bruce asked his mother, "How did he die?" "Someone shot him Bruce" She said, with the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. His father motioned for them to come forward. "Come on you two, we're already late."

While Bruce's parents sat in the pew and listened to the Priest speak, Bruce searched for Bella. He assumed that she must be in the front, but due to the amount of people in the Cathedral, there was no way he would ever be able to see her.

After what seemed like three never ending hours, the service was over. Bruce and his parents slowly made their way to the front of the Cathedral to say their final goodbyes to Mr. Xavier. When they reached the casket, Bruce peered in. Mr. Xavier didn't look dead; it just looked like he was sleeping. You couldn't see any of his bones and his flesh wasn't decaying, like the dead people in movies.

Bruce's father pulled him toward the side of the church, when he and Bruce's mother had finished their goodbyes. In the nearby corner stood a tall man and a boy who looked to be about Bruce's age. Bruce father shook hands with the other man. "Thomas Wayne," he said. "I was a colleague of Charles', I'm very sorry for your loss." "Thanks," replied the man. "How is Anabella?" Bruce's father inquired politely. "She hasn't been taking it well. She's with my wife in the reception room right now. I'm sure you'll see her there." Bruce's father nodded and the man and his son walked away. "Who were they?" asked Bruce. "Jonathan and Clark Kent," said his father with a sad smile. "They'll be taking care of Anabella from now on." "Doesn't she have another family?" "Unfortunately no, but the Kents seem like very nice people and I'm sure they'll take care of her."

At the reception, Bruce only saw Bella once. She was sitting next to the boy he had seen earlier and was softly crying. The boy seemed to be doing his best to reassure her, but it was obvious he didn't know quite what to say. Now that he thought about, Bruce wasn't sure he'd know what to say either. He was about to walk over to them, but his father came to tell him it was time to leave. They had to be in Gotham bright and early tomorrow morning. Just as Bruce walked away, Bella looked up. The both of their eyes met instantly. Bruce gave her a small smile before he was ushered away through the crowd, here for the same reason he was.

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Thanks so much for reading!


	3. Chapter 3 Bloody Murders

Salutations! It appears I have made it to Chapter 3! Hooray! Thanks again for the review!

On anther note, I've decided to included a Bella-centric bonus chapter after every two or so chapters. I think it would be a nice perspective change from all Bruce. Chapter 4 is finished as well and will be posted soon. Enjoy!

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Bella mentally slapped herself as she set down a bowl of piping hot popcorn on the coffee table. She hated horror movies, especially on Halloween. And here she was about to watch one. A part of her made her want to mentally slap Clark as well for suggesting this, but seeing as they had guests at the farm that would be highly inappropriate. Quickly peeking out the window, she saw that Clark was talking to Lana and Jonathan and Martha were talking to Lana's aunt. Perfect, she thought. Closing her eyes she began to focus on absolute serenity. All around her, pillows began to move back into their respective places on the couch, more refreshments from the kitchen landed perfectly on the coffee table and… "Bella!" Her concentration broke resulting her almost dropping a glass vase. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" Jonathan Kent stared at his adoptive daughter not know whether to laugh or shout. It was times like these, he thought, that parenting becomes more of a curse them a blessing. He stared at Bella expectantly. "Just tidying up," she replied with her most innocent smile. "And what if Lana and her aunt saw you? How would you explain that to them?" "You and I both know I could." Jonathan sighed, "I know it hard for you, believe me I see that every day, but you just can't use your abilities in public. It's too risky." Bella nodded looking slightly downtrodden. Jonathan walked over to her and ruffled her hair. "C'mon, if you're done preparing, I believe we have guests to entertain." Bella resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his ridiculous antics.

The rest of the night had passed rather smoothly, despite the choice of film genre. Lana had chosen a movie called "Bloody Murder." It was about some kids stuck in a summer camp slowly and brutally being killed by their boss. Bella couldn't say that she had enjoyed it. Somehow, she doubted that Clark had either, but seeing as it was Lana's choice, there was no way he'd refute it. To her, movies about killings and assassinations were pointless….especially after what happened to her father. Didn't people know that mainstreaming murder only made it more common? It was frustrating to think that some sicko was getting an idea of how to mutilate children somewhere by watching this movie. Murder, murder, murder…It was all people ever thought about anymore. It was everywhere! Why just two days ago she had seen some story on the news. A billionaire and his wife were murdered in Gotham City or something. No surprise there, Gotham City was famous for its high crime rates, but what were their names…Weylin? Wade? No, Wayne! They were the Waynes! Bella gasped as the realization hit her. Bruce…his parents…were dead….She hadn't heard anything about a funeral on the news. Poor Bruce, he was…so nice. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wayne seemed nice as well, based on the short amount on time she had spent with them. She really hoped Bruce was okay….losing the only family you have was quite irksome and she knew that first hand. She made up her mind to pray for him that night. After all, what else could she do? "Bella?" Bella was thrown off her train of thought by the sound of Martha Kent's voice. "Dinner is ready. Are you planning to come downstairs anytime soon?" "Yes, in a second. Sorry!" Bella hastily replied as she rushed down the stairs.

After saying her goodbyes to Lana and her aunt after dinner, Bella headed toward the barn. She needed some solace in order to try and organize her thoughts. She climbed all the way to the top of the staircase and stared out the large window; the view from there was her favorite. You could see entire countryside covered in the final glows of the sun. They didn't get many trick-or-treaters this year, so the entire property was rather reposeful. Needing a moment to take it all in she closed her eyes. She wished the whole world could just be like this quiet and serene. No bloody murders, just beautiful sunsets for everyone to enjoy.

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So? What did you think? should I keep up the bonus chapters or to they completely ruin the mood of the story? :/


	4. Chapter 4 Marriages

Back to the normal storyline! Yay! Enjoy!

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Bruce Wayne pulled the shabby edges of his over coat closer to him as the harsh wind chilled him from the inside out. Shuddering uncomfortably, he tried to remember why he was in a remote part of Asia. As he and the people of the monastery he was staying at reached as a small village, he couldn't help but feel a bit home sick. It had been two years since he graduated college and eight years since he had been in Gotham. The "good" people of Gotham probably thought he ran off with some foreign princess or had gone or got himself killed in some irrelevant manner. Both of those options would be better than going back to Gotham. After all, it was the very city where he watched his parents di…A familiar sound interrupted his rather despondent train of thought. In a small restaurant located about 3 feet way, there was an even smaller television.

It was old and boxy, but it was still a television. Silently, Bruce slipped into the restaurant hoping to see just about anything. It appeared as though they were broadcasting some celebrity wedding on the C_BS_. He scanned the headlines looking for familiar names. The blue stripe at the bottom of the screen read: _Breaking News-Lex Luthor marries Anabella Xavier. _ So, Bella was getting married and to Lex Luthor of all people. Bruce had heard of him before. Like any billionaire raised in the city, he was a ruthless business mogul. However, something about Luthor just made Bruce want to dislike him. At, present he wasn't quite sure what that was, but whatever it was couldn't be pleasant. As he watched Bella walk down the aisle led by Jonathan Kent, he felt a sharp pain in the side of his chest. In a split second, it had vanished. Bruce shook his head and walked out of the establishment. Staring up at the winter sun, he recalled the brief moments he had spent with Bella. To be honest, he barely knew the woman. He had met her what, like two times prior to watching the segment? Why did he suddenly care now? Before, he had never even bothered to get in contact with her after her father's funeral. No lame paper greetings cards or even those annoyingly sympathetic emails between acquaintances were exchanged between them. He barely knew who "Bella" was back then, and he barely knew who she was now.

On his walk back up to the monastery, Bruce couldn't shake the overlying feeling that the union between Bella and Lex Luthor was….wrong. Why would Lex Luthor, a man who ate, breathed, and slept business get married? And to a genetic researcher's daughter of all people? Sure, Bella was wealthy, but the Luthor Family definitely didn't need any more money. Were they after an experiment of her father's? Bruce sighed. There was no use getting worked up about such matters. There was nothing he could do anyway. He was here (though exactly where "here" was he couldn't recall) and she was there in Metropolis, millions of miles away. Silently promising himself to forget the entire situation, he quickened his pace. He suddenly felt the need to reach the comforts of the monastery by sundown.

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Reviews are always much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5 Memories

**Hello again and sorry for the wait! **Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to update everyday. I'm taking a couple of classes online over the summer so...

On a much happier note, I think I'll just make the bonus chapters part of the story. I enjoy writing about Clark and Bella almost as much as I enjoy writing about Bruce. (Clark and Bella have a brother-sister relationship, just something to put into perspective whilst reading this story.) Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!

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Bella Xavier looked out of one of her father's jet's many windows. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry. Leaving Smallville would be hard, but she had to, for business. Gotham City was her home now and there was nothing that could change that. Leaning back into the plush leather seat, she recalled the events of an evening exactly one week ago.

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Andrew Simmons, the business head of her father's cooperation had told her to come to their offices in Smallville. He had told her it was important and…it was urgent. Naturally, she had assumed that it was Lex trying to usurp her and take control of the company with his 5%. After all, that's what ex-husbands did right? As she stepped out of the long black vehicle, she walked briskly into the building ahead, in an attempt to avoid the cold temperatures. Her immediate fears about Lex were put to rest as soon as Mr. Simons opened his mouth. However, what he said next made her almost wish that Lex was the problem.

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"You're moving to Gotham," he had said. Bella didn't know how to react then, and she wasn't sure how to react now. But alas, here she was on a plane...a plane to Gotham. Leaving Smallville was a lot harder than she thought.

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After returning to the farm, Bella supposed she should start packing. Packing everything she owned at that. Simmons said she should be ready to "migrate" by next week. She didn't have a lot of time. Now that she had a grip on her "abilities", she didn't need to concentrate so hard. As Bella wrote down everything she needed on a sheet of paper, the said items floated into their respective suitcases. At this rate, she thought to herself smiling, she would be done in a day, not a week. Ah, the joys of being a telekinetic. Hearing the front door sing shut, she quickly stood up. She hadn't thought about Clark, or about Martha, or just about anyone else. How would they react? Bella mentally slapped herself, a childhood habit, for being so…thoughtless. "Bella?" Clark called from downstairs. A look of panic spread across her face. What was she going to do? She couldn't just pretend that she wasn't here…Clark and his stupid super hearing. Nor could she wipe his memory of ever hearing her; they had an agreement. And Anabella Xavier **never **broke her promises. "Hi," she stated weakly as she trudged down the stairs. "Hey," Clark smiled at her. "Oliver, Lois, and Chloe are coming over. I thought we could have a movie night or something." Great, thought Bella. Now I'm going to have to face all of them, at once. Putting on her best fake smile she replied, "Great. I'll make the popcorn." She practically ran to the kitchen. "Uh…Okay?" Clark wasn't sure what to think. Sure Bella was an enthusiastic person, but no one was that enthusiastic, especially about a movie.

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Bella giggled. She had managed to put off telling Clark for at least two more days. He had taken it surprisingly well. He told her she needed a change of scenery, particularly after "the divorce". Bella had just rolled her eyes and wondered when Clark had become so wise. Martha was fairly simple as well. After listening to all the details of Mr. Simmons' proposal, she had wished Bella best. She met Chloe and Lois for coffee at _The Talon _and even though a few tears had been shed, the two seemed happy for her. Oliver however, was still a problem. He was in Star City on business so she hadn't been able to see him. Bella felt that goodbyes should always be done in person, so calling him was not an option. She had decided to just let Clark tell him. There was no time. She was needed in Gotham. Closing her eyes, she recalled everything she knew about Gotham. She had done this about a million times in the last week, but it always managed to calm her down. It reminded her that she knew what she was up against, that she wasn't fighting some unknown enemy. But, Gotham wasn't her enemy…it was about to be her home. There was nothing horribly wrong with the city (aside from its crime rates), and lots of nice people lived there. Nice people like Bruce Wayne and…The realization hit her that the only person she really knew in Gotham was well, Bruce. She had seen him on the news a couple of times. He looked the same, just taller. Laughing, she recalled their time spent at the Wayne Company dinner, oh so many years ago. Why couldn't things be like that again? Simple…No fears, no troubles, no businesses, just childish games. Her quite reverie was interrupted by one of the flight attendants. "Miss Xavier," the tall woman said, "The pilot wanted to me to let you know we'll touch down in Gotham City Airport in about 15 minutes. "Excellent," Bella replied giving the woman one of her customary smiles. As she looked out the window, all she could she was skyscrapers, and lots of them at that. She missed Smallville already.

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Alright! Chapter 5 done! Chapter 6 will be coming soon. Do you guys enjoy the Smallville aspects? More Gotham-centric stuff coming soon. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6 Restaurants

Sorry for the long wait again, but I'm back (and hopefully better than ever)! I'll do my best to update regularly...but online classes take up 90% of my time. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait (seeing as Bruce and Bella finally meet and all). Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review, favorite, or follow my story! You guys really make this writing process worthwhile.

Without further ado, Enjoy!

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Bruce Wayne gave yet another frustrated sigh upon looking out the window of his car. Traffic in Gotham was a nightmare on a regular basis and here he was, trying to get to some restaurant for a business dinner during rush hour. He was already a good thirty minutes late as it was, but due to the state of traffic jam on the freeway, an hour and a half late seemed a lot more plausible. Perhaps he was partly to blame…but being the Batman was so much more important than some dinner party. The Batman could afford to make people wait hours (or minutes) for him. Unfortunately however, Bruce Wayne couldn't.

Seeing as the traffic didn't seem to be clearing up any time soon, Bruce mentally reviewed the guest list for tonight's event. There was a possibility that he could "analyze" a few gang representatives who may or may not be invited. There were the usual board members of Wayne Industries, a couple of people from Queen Industries and…someone from Star Labs. Bruce felt as though he should know the representative from Star Labs, Lucius had told him his or her name, but in his haste to arrest the leader of a drug smuggling ring before 7 o'clock, it had completely slipped his mind. Bruce sincerely hoped he hadn't forgotten anything else about this evening. To the best of his memory, he hadn't. Giving his dashboard window one last hopeful glance, he realized the lane ahead of him was clear. He hadn't heard the multitude of people behind him honking. Within a span of 15 minutes, he was able to reach the restaurant.

The name of the place Lucius decided to hold the event was _Evander's_, best known as the most presumptuous restaurant in all of Gotham. Bruce found himself sighing yet again, a presumptuous restaurant with a presumptuous name, full of presumptuous people. That was "exactly" what he needed right now.

Upon entering the building Bruce immediately found himself searching for Lucius. He wanted to avoid as much unwanted contact with the "upper crowd" of Gotham as possible. After casting a few fake smiles and giving several attractive women a seductive wink, he found Lucius. He was in the corner talking to a blonde woman…in a very…nice dress. "Lucius," he said upon walking up to the pair. "Ah, Mr. Wayne. Nice to finally see you," replied the man. "I believe I told you that the event started at 6:30." The woman abruptly turned around. "Mr. Wayne, It… is so nice to finally see you again. It's been a while hasn't it?" If Bruce didn't have a "Batman-like" hold on his facial expressions, he was sure if jaw would have dropped to the floor. Bella Xavier; what was she doing here? Didn't she live in Metropolis? She was definitely the last person he ever expected to see at a _Wayne Industries_ function. Recollecting his composure, Bruce gave her his most flirtatious smile. "Yes, it most certainly has." "Well, I've heard about your plans for sustainable energy development from Mr. Foxx here and may I say, they sound absolutely wonderful. Star Labs will gladly back you up anyway we can." Bella had responded giving him a smile of her own. That's when it hit Bruce; the Xavier family owned Star Labs. He couldn't believe he hadn't put two and two together and realized that Bella would be the representative from Star Labs. "Guess I'll leave you two to catch up," said Lucius said walking away. "So," Bruce said, "What brings you to Gotham?"

He spent the rest of the night in relatively peaceful solace with Bella. They were standing in a rather secluded corner, so no annoying ex-girlfriends or drunken business partners came to bother them. They were however, able to hear most of the evening's gossip. Once word got out there was a mugging going on somewhere in the slums of Gotham City, Bruce had to force himself to leave her company. After a mouthful of mottled excuses, Bruce had made a beeline for the exit. Bella just gave him an understanding smile. In that moment, it felt almost as though she knew exactly where he was going…and why he was leaving her. It was almost like she could he read his mind. Bruce shook the strange feelings from his mind as he opened the door to his car. If he was going to be the Batman, he needed to have a clear head.

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Well? Any thoughts?


	7. Chapter 7 Orphan Problems

Hello Again! I'm really sorry about the ULTRA long wait and problems with Chapter 7, but I'm did my best to fix them. I'll do my best to update regularly, but I need to make sure that what I'm posting has quality to it. I also want to thank all my lovely reviewers for all the help they've provided me with! You guys are the best, seriously.

On a much different note, I wrote this in the spirit of Father's Day. I meant to update yesterday, but I was busy so...

There are also some science-y stuff in this chapter so yay science! As always, Enjoy!

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Rain loudly pattered down on the glass ceiling of the spacious roof top garden. Exotic plants from all over the world were housed on the top of the Star Labs building, on display for any high profile clients and employees to view at their leisure. Leaning back into a plush leather desk chair, which had been telekinetically dragged up to the elevator only an hour prior, Bella Xavier slowly closed her eyes. She had been fighting the elusive force known as sleep, for the past fifteen minutes and so far, sleep was winning. Quickly shaking her head, she sat up straighter and took a sip of coffee. The caffeine managed to give her a renewed sense of energy, much stronger than her tiredness. Looking back into the monitor of her laptop, she continued to casually scroll through the files. She had saved the speech she working on about the REM phase just about five minutes ago, but upon closing _Word_, had forgotten which file it was in. She was supposed to have a record worthy memory; she was a friggin' telepath! If anyone can find this file, it's you, she told herself. This was one of those crazy situations where staying positive just didn't seem…plausible. Maybe she could call tech support; the computers in the office had a sort of collective consciousness and they were definitely a lot more technologically advanced than her. Just as the semblance of another complaint began to manifest on the tip of her tongue, something in the screen caught her eye. _Genetics Video, Cambridge Conference_, read the file folder. Cambridge hasn't held a conference in well…years, thought Bella. Could it be that this was one of her father's speeches? The save date seemed accurate. Inhaling sharply, she double clicked on the video. A new window popped up and sure enough, it was him. "Hello, I'm Professor Charles Xavier and by the end of this conference you will have an in-depth understanding of the process known as mutagenesis." Bella couldn't help but laugh. It had been a long time since she heard his heavily accented voice or seen his thoroughly bald head. She had forgotten how nice it was to have a father…

After watching the entire series, Bella found herself laughing at every single science-related pun or play on words her father made. She wasn't entirely sure if he even meant for the phrases to be funny half the time. He just had that warmth that put everyone around him at ease. Closing the laptop, Bella silently walked toward the elevators. The REM speech and desk chair were left forgotten in the garden. She had more important things to think about.

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Bruce Wayne rolled over tiredly as his alarm went off. As much as he wanted to hit the snooze button, his hypersensitive "bat" instincts told him that he couldn't. Something important was happening today, he just couldn't remember what. Forcing himself up out of bed, he grabbed a t-shirt strewn carelessly over a chair and headed downstairs. Perhaps Alfred knew.

Soon enough, Bruce found out that he was supposed to attend an event Gotham City's orphanage representing the Wayne Foundation. It was one of those events he really didn't mind going to; those kids deserved every last cent they got. If it wasn't for Alfred and his trust fund, he would probably be there. After getting dressed in a very nice suit and hoping into one of his many cars, he drove toward the orphanage. With any luck, today would be a day well spent.

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Bella Xavier found herself in the rooftop garden of Star Labs yet again. This time she stood in front of a large floor plaque with an enormous bouquet of flowers in her hands. "I miss you Daddy", she whispered. "I'm doing this, all of this for you. Hope you're proud of me." Biting back tears and forcing herself to smile, she hurriedly walked out of the room. She had an orphanage to get to.

After getting into a car and giving the chauffer instructions, Bella carefully re-examined her decision. Going to the orphanage had been an after-thought of sorts, but she wanted to help those kids, very badly. They understood what it was like to lose the only family they had and Bella could be empathetic. If it wasn't for her father, she wasn't even sure she'd be alive right now. She owed him her life and more, a debt that could never be repaid. He had saved her from a lifetime of mutation induced horrors. In a way, he was her hero.

Recollecting herself as the car pulled up to the orphanage, Bella stepped out into the late spring sun.

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Bruce Wayne sat in a corner playing _Sorry_ with several young boys. Seeing their faces when he had pulled up in his Porsche was priceless, and though he didn't want to admit it, one of them was totally beating him to shreds in the board game. This wasn't turning out to be a bad day at all; he was actually enjoying himself. When the game finally came to an end, Bruce excused himself from the group and went over to talk to the Fr. Billiard, the priest who ran the orphanage about financial matters. The entire group looked rather disheartened when he left with the exception of one. Bruce swore his name was Robin or something along the lines of it. Whenever they made eye contact, Robin always gave him a shy smile. It was like he knew something that Bruce didn't…

When he reached Fr. Billiard, the man was talking to someone else. That someone turned out to be none other than Bella Xavier, Bruce realized upon getting closer. He had been thinking about her quite a lot lately; there wasn't a lot of information out there on her childhood. Her whole life until age seven seemed to be shrouded in mystery.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000Bella Xavier walked out of the orphanage with a large smile on her face. It was good to be around others like her and there was nothing in the world like seeing the smiles on the faces of those children. Her little pep talk session was interrupted from a yell several yards behind her. She whipped around to see…well Bruce Wayne. She had almost forgotten he was in… a similar situation. Bruce had caught up to her in a matter of seconds; he was fast, very fast. "So I guess this is a rendezvous for all us unloved orphans, huh?" he asked, giving her a sheepish smile. "Something along those lines," she replied cheerfully. "This is most certainly the first time I've ever chanced upon you here. What brings you to one of the happiest places in all of Gotham?" "I found myself feeling rather…sentimental and wound up here," Bella laughed. "You know us unloved orphans and abandonment and our unnecessary sentiment problems." "Yes", replied Bruce. "Yes, I do."

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How is the updated version? Better than the original I hope!

The REM phase is named for the"rapid eye movement" that takes place during its duration. It's basically the phase of sleep where you dream. (See what I did there? ;))

Mutagenesis is more or less the stable changing of an organism's genetic information, resulting in a mutation of sorts.

Happy Monday!


	8. Chapter 8 Heroics Part 1

Alright! Another speedy upload! Just a heads up. This is Part 1 of a multiple part saga of chapters. I know chapters can become a little tedious when you have to read too much at once. This chapter takes place around a week after the orphanage visit. Thanks again for everyone who took the time to read and to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter as well.

As asked for, I did put in some more of Bella using her mutation. The orphan interaction will be coming soon, I promise.

As always, Enjoy!

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Bella Xavier sat on the terrace of her penthouse suite, with her legs crossed Indian style. It was yet another long night for her. However, she wasn't up because of work, nor was she up because of insomnia. She was up at the ungodly hour of three o'clock because of a little girl named Zara. Zara was a resident of the city orphanage and just 4 hours ago, she had been abducted. Though convinced that the police were more than capable of finding the child, something had made her open laptop and make her best attempt to search for the girl. Maybe it was the concern in Fr. Billiards voice when he had called her, personally, to tell her about Zara's current situation. Or maybe she was just a sucker for orphans. At present, she wasn't sure and wasn't bothered to find out. She was more concerned with the mind of a certain man.

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Earlier that evening….

Upon talking to Fr. Billiard, Bella had immediately opened her laptop and began to search for areas in Gotham where the girl could be held captive. Once she had compiled enough information about the Narrows, she had begun to search the minds of people who "resided" there. Her success was almost instant. Within seconds, she found who went under the alias of "Slimy Todd." He had seen Zara just a couple of hours prior, when he stuffed her into the trunk of a car. It seemed as though she was going to be adopted by Richard and Nancy Phillips (rather nice people, Bella knew them personally) soon, and who ever Todd was working for wanted ransom money. Procuring that bit of information was a lot harder than it seemed. Todd was currently drunk and had been smoking unhealthy amount of what could only be Benzoylmethyl ecgonine or "crack." His mind was rather…muddled and Bella wasn't particularly enjoying his drug-induced fantasies. She had sucked it up until this point all for little Zara's sake, but it was getting very redundant.

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Eventually, Bella had discovered that Todd was working for a man who went by the name "penguin." He thoroughly resembled an Oswald Cobblepot, yet another Gotham orphan who was searching for his parents. She had seen a great deal of him on the daily news lately. He was quite a favorite of the citizens of Gotham it seemed. Suddenly Todd's mind began to clear. Bella was able to get a better look at this "penguin." Gasping she nearly fell of the Terrace. Something had to be done and it had to be done right now. Upon running downstairs Bella got into the nearest car and drove off. She drove in circles for what felt like forever and somehow wound up at the front gate of Wayne Manor. Bruce would be able to help her. He was the Batman after all, right? But, what would she say…She could just waltz in and exclaim that she had telepathic powers which showed her he was the Batman, and that that Zara was in trouble, and that they need to save her now, and that Oswald Cobblepot was responsible for everything, but that seemed a bit…outrageous. ? It wasn't like she could just tell him she was a telepath; he'd probably think she was crazy. Her other option was stating that she came over to talk and then telling him about Zara. She could then tell him that she had some suspicions about Cobblepot, but how could she be sure he would believe her. That was when it hit her. She could control the mind of the Butler! Bruce had mentioned him once or twice to her; his name was Alfred. Her empathetic abilities told her how close they were and at present, her only logical conclusion was to assume that Alfred knew Bruce was…well, the Batman. Surely he wouldn't suspect information coming from one of his trusted accomplices?

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Bruce Wayne rubbed his temple as he sat on the Bat cave computer. A little girl named Zara had been abducted a couple of hours prior and…he needed to find her. Richard and Nancy were good people and this little girl deserved a happy home. But, he had exactly zero leads right now and it was driving him insane. Whoever was behind this was very good at covering up their tracks…and it was maddening.

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Upstairs, an unsuspecting Alfred had been surprised by a visit from Ms. Anabella Xavier, a recent object of Mr. Wayne's attention. She had entered with a worried look on her face and had hurriedly said something near unintelligible about needing to see Mr. Wayne immediately. Alfred had told her that Master Bruce was quite busy at the time and that she should come back later. Ms. Xavier was not to be discouraged. Finally raising her voice just a bit, she said she knew he was the Batman. Alfred immediately began to tell her that she was mistaken, but all of a sudden his mind drew a blank. He felt a wave of serenity unlike anything else he had ever felt before.

Directly in front of him, Bella kept her concentration steady. She couldn't believe how well her plan was working so far; Alfred knew all about Bruce being Batman! Using her powers took a huge toll on her body, but a little girl's life was in stake. Careful to leave the man in front of her with no clue he was being telepathically controlled, she sent Alfred down to tell Bruce her recent revelation about the case. Though she didn't have the time to search for Bruce's mind, she was more than ninety-five percent sure he was working on the case. If Fr. Billiard had called her, he must have called all other major contributors to the orphanage.

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Upon hearing footsteps in the cave, Bruce immediately pulled on a long sleeve shirt, there was no need for Alfred to see the fresh cuts on his arm, yet. "Master Bruce!" Alfred practically shouted from the entrance of the cave. "I have some new information about the child missing from the orphanage." Alfred, how did you know I was working on that case? I never said anything about it earlier." Bruce was surprised to say the least. It was unlike Alfred to do voluntary detective work. "I always know Master Bruce, but that is not important right now. It seems as though Mr. Oswald Cobblepot has something to do with the disappearance of Zara. It seems Mr. Cobblepot is only his alias by day. I believe he prefers the term Penguin." Bruce was surprised earlier, but now he was shocked. How had Alfred known all of this? He had never even thought of looking into Cobblepot prior. He never really seemed like a villain, but now it all made sense. It explained all the recent muggings and vandalism lately. While Cobblepot pretended to be a poor orphan looking for his parents, he distracted the people of Gotham and his hired thugs went around causing mayhem and destruction. Everything Alfred had just said made perfect sense. Now, he just needed proof. Grabbing a nearby phone, he quickly dialed the Gotham Police Department number. He was going to need Commissioner Gordon to lock up Cobblepot for life once the Batman was finished with him.

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Standing outside Wayne Manor, Bella silently breathed a sigh of relief as Alfred returned from wherever he had gone. Bruce had believed him. "Sorry Alfred," she whispered into his mind softly before releasing him from her control. She walked back to her car unsteady on her feet. She may have used her mutation a bit too generously on Bruce and Alfred. She still had a lot of work to do, and it would most definitely require her abilities.

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More coming...eventually...

Thanks for taking the time to read!


	9. Chapter 9 Heroics Part 2

Greetings! Sorry for the long wait. :( I've been ultra busy and rather lazy. My apologies. For those of you who I promised an update next week...here's a surprise! Thank you so much for sticking with this story! I know you guys aren't interested in my babbling excuses so without further ado...Heeeeeereeees the story! Enjoy!

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Bruce Wayne leaned back as he pushed the tumbler into full throttle. If he was going to get anywhere near Cobblepot before a ransom note was sent out, he had to hurry. The only person in Gotham, who he was able find with a definite connection to "The Penguin", was Max Shrek. Shrek definitely had the man power, resources, and influence to unleash a criminal caper of drastic proportions, but why? He was doing rather well for himself, what more could he possibly want with Gotham? He slowed the tumbler to a stop in front of Shrek's enterprise building. With any luck, the questions he had would be answered upon interrogation.

A fair amount of miles away, Bella Xavier sat perched on the top of an abandoned office building in the Narrows. She had taken a powernap (better known as a faint) for about 5 minutes, and then headed off to the Narrows. Upon her arrival, she was greeted with foreclosure signs, graffiti, and no sign of Slimy Todd. She was at an absolute loss as of what to do. Todd had clearly been thinking about meeting up with his "superiors" at this exact address, but the area was completely vacated. Had she been too late? Deciding to get a better view, she had climbed to the top of the building. Feeling a bit discouraged after fifteen minutes Bella began her descent. A rattling noise from below her immediately caught her attention. The manhole cover in the adjacent street was cast aside, and out crawled…Todd! He had been there the entire time; she just hadn't noticed him because he was underground. Waiting for "the said thug" to vacate the premises, Bella slowly climbed down the stairs and walked cautiously toward the manhole. It was obvious that there was no way she could lift it herself. Double-checking the area for signs of human life, she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. The manhole cover began to rattle furiously and within a couple of seconds, it was cast aside. After checking her surroundings yet again, she headed downwards, making sure to leave the cover where it was. Though the chances of her needing back up were slim, they were still existent. It was important that someone would be able to find her...if needed.

The sewage filters underneath Gotham were dank and smelly. The murky green waters and slimy walls made one feel as if they were in the digestive tract of a giant beast. Not wanting to step into the mixture of liquids surrounding her, Bella alternated between hovering over the ground and keeping close to the railings. When she reached a point in the sewage system where she could stand sans fear of falling, she began to search the area for brain activity. What she found pleased her. She could sense the thoughts of 12 people underground, with one of them…being Zara! Hurrying toward the center of the pipes, Bella stayed as quiet as she could. If there was any way she could get the girl out and back home without running into any altercations, she would take it. Taking a deep breath, she searched for Cobblepot's mind. It would be nice to know what other endeavors he was undertaking so she could tip of the police department (anonymously of course). As she neared the heat of the system, she could hear the cries of a small child. Two large men with an unattractive amount of makeup/ face paint on were attempting to offer Zara what looked like a slimy rubber ducky. "C'mon kiddo, it's a nice ducky", said the taller of the men. "Yeah," replied the other. "Nice ducky." He then proceeded to squeeze the duck's stomach, causing a small eruption of sewage grime to land on him, his associate, and the girl. "Goons!" Came a voice from what Bella could make out be the adjacent room. "Get in here! I have developed a new master plan. A plan so great the only three that will know of it will be you two and myself." Make that four! Bella thought to herself as the other eight people in the room, two of which were women dressed like promiscuous Marie Antoinettes, filed out, leaving Zara's "caretakers" to join Penguin. Bella saw her opportunity and took it. SLEEP! She commanded all the people in the room, including Zara. The girl would be much easier to transport whilst asleep than whilst awake. Carefully steeping into the dank sewer light, Bella walked to the makeshift crib where Zara was being housed and picked her up. Carefully steeping over sleeping bodies, she made her way to the room where Penguin and his goons slept. Suddenly, the realization dawned on her. She had tipped of Bruce…and he should be here any minute with the police department in tow. Why not make their job a bit easier? Setting the sleeping child down on nearby table, she concentrated on a set of chains by one of the goons legs. Silently, the chains nearby moved toward Penguin and began to wrap themselves around his arms, legs, and the table he sat at. No doubt the police would be rather…surprised when they saw this. She picked up Zara and headed back for the crib. Perfect, there were just enough hair samplings left in the structure for a DNA analysis to confirm it was Zara! So far, everything was going according to Bella's plan (though it wasn't exactly like she had one in the first place). Now she just had to make sure the police knew Zara was safe. Deciding to add a personal touch, she focused on the duck and using its residue marked the walls: _I thought you could use a little help. _Smiling to herself, she quickened her pace back toward the open manhole. She had a child to return to a loving family.

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The Batman dropped down to the darkness of the sewage tunnel. The interrogation with Shrek had gone well. The man cracked under pressure and revealed Penguin's "lair" to him within a couple of minutes. Using the map he downloaded into his mask he was able to quickly locate the center of the sewage system, the only place this far under Gotham that was cemented. It made for an excellent hiding place if you were an undersized man who abducted small children for ransom money (also known as Penguin). "So, you're already here," came a voice to the right of him. He looked over to see Commissioner Gordon long with a small squad of around five men. "It's this way," said Bruce, walking in the direction his map had indicated. Gordon quickly pulled out his comm and filled in the rest of his department, who were no doubt in another part of Gotham's vast sewage system. As Bruce and Gordon turned the corner where the former had estimated the Penguin to be, they were shocked to find eight men and women all dressed in decade clothing lying on the floor appearing to be…asleep. "What the hell happened here?" Gordon found himself asking out loud to no one in particular. By the time he was finished, Bruce was already at the door which held Penguin and his two goons. It gave way with only a slight shove. "Someone, someone was here," he stated, looking at the penguin's sleeping form. "It looks like that someone took the girl too", replied a very confused Gordon. While his team was processing small strands of black hair, he stared at the writing on the wall. "You may want to see this," he called to Batman.

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Alright, I guessing you guys have some questions about Bella's use of her powers. The reason she could use them so...often in this chapter without tiring was because she used them menially. Controlling inanimate objects (with no brain activity) is a lot easier than controlling a living, breathing human. Putting people to sleep (which was NREM sleep so less brain activity) is also easier than controlling a being who is awake. I'm also guessing you guys were wondering why there were no penguins in this chapter...after all, it is about the Penguin. For those of you who want penguins, they will be in the next chapter, I promise. Finally, for anyone who was wondering Zara can be imagined as around 1-2 years old.

Oh! For those of you who are fans of the Tim Burton Batman, I'll include some flashbacks of Shrek's interrogation in the next chapter! ;)

Thank again for reading! All reviews are welcome...


	10. Chapter 10 Heroics Part 3

**Mein Apologies for the long wait! **I'm so sorry, but I've been super busy and have lost a little bit of my motivation to continue writing this story. Sorry, bur I just enjoy writing X-men fanfiction more.

School is also starting relatively soon in my area...so...updates may be even less frequent. I PROMISE I WILL TRY THOUGH! All of my readers have been super supportive and a huge thank you to WinterRain 36. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't even have posted this chapter. You seriously rock! I'll do by best to keep up with this story. I made this chapter extra long, for all you love people out there.

Enjoy this Chapter! I hope it's good! :)

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Bella leaned back into the uncomfortably hard chairs at _Bell Fontaine _and took a sip of her drink. This was going to be a long lunch, and she wasn't entirely sure she was prepared for it. Even though Nancy had firmly stated this was a casual and friendly get together, Bella couldn't help but feeling like she was at a business dinner. The woman in front of her, Nancy, held several large binders, each brimming with its own sort of meticulously color-coded information.

To most people in Gotham, Nancy Phillips was a horrible control freak, but Bella, on this occasion at least, could see behind her well-manicured façade. While Nancy said she wanted this party to be perfect because they Gotham Living Committee would moist definitely be stopping by, she thought that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she screwed up her daughter's first birthday with her new parents. Nancy wasn't that bad, you just had to look into the depths of her mind to get an idea of who she really was.

"Should I go with the coral pink or the tulip yellow?"

Nancy's voice caused Bella to jerk upright suddenly. She just realized she hadn't been listening to a word Nancy had said.

"Personally, I'd choose the pink."

Being a telepath allowed people certain _advantages_ in life, Bella thought as Nancy beamed up at her. She had said exactly what Nancy had wanted to hear. Nancy loved the color pink for a second birthday party, but was afraid that yellow would look prettier on Zara's dark skin. She was practically pining for a second opinion, which Bella was more than happy to provide.

As sudden cry caused both women to jump out of their respective seats and look downward. Two sighs of relief were uttered the second Zara was noticed in her baby carrier. The small girl was reaching up for a star on the carrier's handle, but to her utmost dismay found that her arms were too short and stubby. Nancy handed her the star without a moment's hesitation. Both women were quiet for a while.

"I can't believe I almost lost her," Nancy said quietly. "Now, now that she's here, I can't even imagine what life would be like without her."

"I know," Bella smiled at Nancy sympathetically. "Believe me, I know. But, all that matters now is that she **is** here and she **is **safe, Nancy."

The second the words left Bella's mouth, Nancy burst into tears. Bella could do nothing else but smile. She couldn't tell Nancy that the girl's kidnappers weren't going to kill her; that would just raise suspicion. There really was nothing more she could do.

"So, are we going with unicorn cake or the teddy bear cupcakes?"

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"Sir, you've just been invited to Zara Phillip's birthday party."

Bruce didn't even look up from the key board.

"Sir."

"I heard you Alfred, it's just that I don't see why I should go. She's two, she won't even remember the party afterwards and I was planning on taking out Richter that evening. I need time to prepare."

"Master Wayne, perhaps you should reconsider your options. You have all the time in the world to take out any crime boss you please this weekend, though I'd much rather you take a lovely lady out to dinner instead, and it would be a prime opportunity to talk business with Andrew Phillips. He is the head of Wayne Industries legal department, is he not?"

"I can talk to Andrew at time at the office."

"Did I mention Ms. Xavier would be in attendance?"

"Alfred."

"Yes, Master Wayne?"

"Are you trying to set me up?"

"That, Master Bruce, is entirely up to you."

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Zara giggled happily as Bella danced a tiny dragon around the edge of her high chair. Her tiny pink dress and matching shoes looked absolutely darling, despite her mother's initial fears. Nancy had pulled of the event in as close to humanely perfection as possible. Now, Bella sat trying to amuse her soon-to-be godchild, while the child's mother ran about checking over every last detail.

"Anabella?"

"Hm."

"Would you be a dear and run this guest list over to the men at the front? I can't seem to find Slyvia."

"Of course. Do you want me to take the birthday girl as well?"

Nancy turned around. She looked beyond tired.

"Would you mind?"

"Not at all."

And with that being said, Bella picked up Zara and headed toward the front of the girl's home. Just as Nancy had said, two men dressed in black suits were standing near it. Bella glanced over at them. They hadn't seen her yet.

"Now, be quiet for your Aunty Bella, all right?"

Zara just stared back.

"Good girl."

Bella carefully opened the envelope Nancy gave her. It would probably be a good idea to double check the guest list just in case. If Cobblepot was on it, there'd definitely be trouble. Sure enough, he was.

Bella sighed. "Just my luck, huh Zara?"

She grabbed a pen from the nearby desk and quickly crossed out his name. She made sure her lines were neat and straight, so they looked like Nancy made them. Scanning the list yet again for any other unwanted visitors, she paused over one name, Bruce Wayne.

"So, it looks like you have nothing to worry about Zara," she said. "The Batman, himself is going to be at your party."

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Outside the confines of Richard and Nancy's home, several men with painted faces were setting up what looked to be a canon of sorts. Normally, this would have caused quite a conundrum and the men would have been evicted from the premises, but this was Zara's birthday and they were setting up in the relatively abandoned back gardens. Actually, the gardens were wholly abandoned except for the main gardener who had a bullet in his forehead. Sadly, he wasn't going to be able to stop the two suspicious men.

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"Where is Mario?"

Nancy Phillips was visibly freaking out as she stood in front of her home.

"Those hedges were so not trimmed today."

Bella couldn't help, but agree. An untrimmed hedge could ruin the "element" of the party. Once Nancy went around the side of her house and the men by the door were looking the other way, Bella closed her eyes. Slowly, leaves began to float off the hedge and into a neat pile around the roots of a large tree. Personally, Bella thought it made the Phillps' home more welcoming.

"I could have sworn the top of this hedge was uneven a second ago," cried Nancy in surprise. She had returned.

Bella shrugged, attempting to be nonchalant.

"Shall we go back…inside then?" Nancy still seemed concerned about the hedge.

"Yes," Bella cried immediately.

She ushered both Nancy and Baby Zara inside the house, towards the sounds of the party.

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Richard, Bruce, and a couple other executives sat in the corner of the large room, ignoring the rest of the party. Richard had been taking about how he had just sealed a hue lawsuit against a rival company. Bruce knew he should be listening, but couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he found his eyes wandering, looking around at the rest of the party.

It wasn't long before he found Bella. She was standing near Nancy and he could tell she wasn't paying attention either. She had that same blasé expression that donned his face more than he would like to admit. All of a sudden Bella turned around and they're eyes met. She looked a little worried, but it was almost like…she was happy to see him. Bruce quickly shook the thoughts out of his head. As the Batman, he didn't have time for such things.

Eventually, Bruce's social group dissipated and he found himself walking toward Bella. She was standing by herself with a faraway expression on her face. She was unlike anyone in Gotham and anyone Bruce had ever met with her unfailing optimism. Something about her intrigued him that was for sure.

Bruce halted abruptly. A living breathing penguin…had just waddled right in front of him. Upon looking around, he discovered there were several more in the room. He seriously doubted that they were part of the party. What did penguins have to do with "pretty pink princesses"( the party's theme according to Nancy)? Suddenly, Bruce realized something, something important.

Cobblepot associated himself with penguins and they were penguins at this party. Cobblepot had also kidnapped Zara. He definitely couldn't be happy that one of his thugs went Benedict Arnold on him and turned her in to the police station, safe and sound. The thug's fingerprints were matched from the goo on the wall and Bruce was confident that he was the one who really saved Zara. Gordon had been talking about another vigilante, but thankfully his opinionated claims were disputed, with facts.

There were more pressing matters at hand then Bruce's lone vigilante status. The people in this room were in danger. Bruce continued to make his way toward Bella, he wanted to make sure she would be safe. Just as he reached over, she looked at him. Her eyes were wide.

"Wha-"

"GET DOWN!" Bella screamed from the top of her lungs.

Everyone in the room turned to look over at the two of them. Within seconds a mega-canon came smashing through the adjacent wall.

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So, a fictional penny for your thoughts? How'd you like my penguins? Is there anything you'd like to see in this story? Adios! ;)


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